The purpose of this study was to compare demographic trends in the aging of the Japanese and Brazilian populations on the basis of health indicator data collected by the statistics bureaus of the Japanese and Brazilian governments. The demographic and health indicator data from surveys by the Statistics Bureaus of the Japanese and Brazilian governments and other sources were obtained from websites. The data showed that Japan has an aging population, that the number of elderly persons in Japan is increasing and that the Government of Japan has a plan to address future demands for health resources by this aging population, whereas Brazil has a rapidly population aging but no plan for its future health services. Brazil may need to increase the number of hospitals and hospital beds and develop a medical care plan for the elderly within its Unified Health System.

Histopathological and immunohistochemical studies were conducted to investigate the local existence and distribution of mast cells, fibroblasts or dendritic cells, and myofibroblasts in scleroderma, while paying particular attention to the interstices around the adnexa. The skin tissues in 15 cases of systemic scleroderma were classified histopathologically into three stages: early, fully developed, and late stage. Mesenchymal cells were distinguished immunohistochemically by 6 markers: tryptase, CD34, factor XIIIa, alpha smooth muscle actin (αSMA), vimentin, and desmin. In scleroderma, there was an increase in the number of tryptase-positive mast cells in the interstices around the adnexa. With no relation to the interstitial sites, there was a significant decrease in the number of CD34-positive cells in the late stage, and a significant increase in αSMA-positive cells in the fully developed stage, but a decrease in the late stage. Results of the present study brought about the following new findings: it was only in the mast cells that there was a significant difference in the cell distribution between the interstices around the adnexa and the interstices in non-adnexal sites. Secondly, it was suggested that mast cells, CD34-positive dendritic cells, and αSMA-positive myofibroblasts were involved in the fibrosis and shrinkage or disappearance of the adnexa when scleroderma developed.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a poor prognosis even after curative surgery, due to the high frequency of early intrahepatic recurrence (IHR). Conventional staging systems are almost completely inadequate, and need to be complemented by novel tools. To this end, many investigators have performed DNA microarray analysis on the basis of genome-wide information. However, so far, few studies have been able to truly account for the clinical efficacy of DNA microarray analysis in HCC. To address this dilemma, we used a supervised learning method with information of 7070 genes from 33 HCC samples, to construct a 12-gene predictor for early IHR, and then evaluated its predictive performance in 27 independent HCC samples. Our 12-gene predictor correctly predicted early IHR or non-recurrence in 25 (93%) of the 27 independent samples. This predictive value is higher than that of any other system currently available, suggesting that our system can serve as a robust tool for accurate prediction of early IHR of HCC. I emphasize in this mini-review that, although there are some technical issues to resolve prior to clinical use, DNA microarray technology can provide molecular basis to initiate “bench to bedside” translation, which cannot be easily reached with other methods.

Application of cell therapy using stem cell into intractable diseases has been noted as the medicine in the next generation taking the place of organ transplantation. Bone marrow cells have been focused as a candidate of the source of this therapy. Liver failure is a terminal state of all advanced liver diseases and thousands of patients are dying of decompensated liver cirrhosis in every year in Japan. Liver transplantation must be the strongest weapon to relieve those patients. However, particularly in Japan, liver transplantation has not been popularized. In this sense, we thought of autologous bone marrow cells transplantation for decompensated liver cirrhosis. Basic studies using animal model revealed that transplanted bone marrow cells into syngenic mouse suffering from liver cirrhosis migrated into the damaged liver and transdifferentiated to the hepatocytes. Based upon the animal studies, clinical trial of this new cell therapy supported by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is ongoing. It is early to estimate this therapy. However, free from liver failure has been observed in some cases.

本研究の目的は，文献をもとに「育児困難感」と「育児不安」の用語の整理を行い，今後の支援に繋げる視点を得ることである。検討の結果，「育児困難感」は，実際の母親を取り巻く要因の中で，母親が子どもと対峙することで「母親自身が困っている」状態を示すものと考えられた。また「育児不安」は「育児における漠然とした不安」であり，疲労感や抑うつ状態が生じる可能性や，具体的な対象や問題がない場合でも生じることが考えられた。また「育児困難感」は「相手（子ども）への感情」であり，「育児不安」は「母親自身の不安」であり，2つは質的に異なると考えられ，「育児困難感」と「育児不安」の高低をもとに，5つのタイプに分類を試みた。

本研究は質問紙調査により挫折体験の意味づけとフォーカシング的経験および外傷後成長（Post-Traumatic Growth，以下“PTG”と表記）との関連を検討するものである。パス解析の結果，（1）フォーカシング的経験のうち「体験過程の受容と行動」はPTGを促進すること，（2）挫折体験の意味づけのうち「同化」はフォーカシング的経験の「間が取れている」と「体験過程の確認時間・空間の確保」，「体験過程の受容と行動」を促進し「体験の感受」を抑制すること，また（3）挫折体験の意味づけのうち「調節」は「体験の感受」と「体験過程の受容と行動」を促進すること，（4）人は挫折体験を経験した際，「同化」と「調節」の両方を体験しがちであることが示された。以上より「同化と調節の振り子モデル」が提示され，調節のみならず同化も有機体の実現傾向のあらわれとして位置づけうること，また一見進んでいないようにみえるクライエントのプロセスを受容することが，結果としてプロセスを進めることにつながるうることが示唆された。

本研究の目的は，教員の教育相談研修への参加意欲を高める要因について検討することである。筆者が行った教育相談の継続研修の参加者14名を対象に，研修に継続参加した理由について自由記述による質問紙調査を行った。検討の結果，研修参加の要因として「ニーズや実践とつながる研究内容」「自分を見つめる・他者と共有し受け止められる時間」は「ニーズや実践とつながる研究内容」や「研究方法・環境の工夫」の両方の側面を持つと考えた。

本研究は挫折体験により知覚されたストレスとフォーカシング的態度および自己成長感との関連を検討するものである。パス解析の結果，(1)挫折体験により知覚されたストレスは問題意識性を高め，フォーカシング的態度による吟味のプロセスを経て自己成長感を高めること，(2)挫折体験により知覚されたストレスはフォーカシング的態度を抑制することが示された。あわせて本研究の結果が臨床に示唆する意義について議論した。

Incontinentia pigmenti (IP; OMIM# 308300) is a rare inherited disease caused by a mutation of IKBKG, which is also known as NEMO, located on Xq28. IP patients usually present with abnormalities of skin, eyes, nails and central nervous system. The neurological damege, which occur usually from neonatal through the early infantile period, leads to neulogical complication such as development retardation, motor paralysis and epilepsy. However, there has been little study done concerning the effect of therapy for the neural abnormalities. We have investigated the clinical findings in a female IP case with a novel mutation of IKBKG for six years due to disclosing the neurological prognosis and the immunological features. It is hoped that the present study will contribute to a better management of IP patients.

The hippocampal dentate gyrus has been identified to play a critical role in maintaining contextual memory in many mammalian species. To evaluate learninginduced synaptic plasticity of granule cells, we subjected male rats to an inhibitory avoidance (IA) task and prepared acute hippocampal slices. In the presence of 0.5 μM tetrodotoxin, we recorded miniature excitatory post synaptic currents (mEPSCs) and inhibitory post synaptic currents (mIPSCs) in male rats experiencing four groups: untrained, IA-trained, unpaired, and walk-through. Compared with the untrained, IA-trained, unpaired, and walk-through groups, the unpaired group significantly enhanced mean mEPSC amplitudes, suggesting the experience-induced plasticity at AMPA receptor-mediated excitatory synapses. For inhibitory synapses, both unpaired and walk-through groups significantly decreased mean mIPSC amplitudes, showing the experience-induced reduction of postsynaptic GAB A_{A} receptor-mediated currents. Unlike the plasticity at CA1 synapses, it was difficult to explain the learning- specific plasticity at the synapses. However, overall multivariate analysis using four variables of mE(I)PSC responses revealed experience-specific changes in the diversity, suggesting that the diversity of excitatory/inhibitory synapses onto granule cells differs among the past experience of animals include the learning. In comparison with CA1 pyramidal neurons, granule cells consistently showed greater amplitude and frequency of mE(I)PSCs. Fluctuation analysis further revealed that granule cells provide more postsynaptic AMPA receptor channels and greater single-channel current of GABA_{A} receptors of than CA1 pyramidal neurons. These findings show functional differences between two types of principal cells in the hippocampus.

Androgen receptor (AR)-signaling plays an important role in promoting tumor cell survival and the development of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Androgen deprivation therapy is the basic therapeutic strategy for AR signaling blockade, but that effects wonʼt last long and most of metastatic prostate cancer show castration resistance. Recently, new agents, AR Axis Targeted agents (ARAT), have been developed. We have been developing our bench-to-bedside translational research to elucidate the mechanisms of drug resistance in prostate cancer. This review describes our investigational results and recent advances in CRPC with ARAT treatment strategy.

We study the diffusion of Brownian particles in a Gaussian random velocity field with short memory. By extending the derivation of an effective Fokker–Planck equation for the Lanvegin equation with weakly colored noise to a random velocity-field problem, we find that the effect of thermal noise on particles is suppressed by the existence of memory. We also find that the renormalization effect for the relative diffusion of two particles is stronger than that for single-particle diffusion. The results are compared with those of molecular dynamics simulations.

大学での教育は正課外活動も含めて学士力の育成や人格形成（社会性の醸成）を行っていくべきである。ただ, どのような正課外活動であっても実行するには必ずお金がかかると考えたほうよく, 学生は様々な機関の活動資金支援制度に申請して助成を受けることもあるだろう。本稿はそうした活動資金支援の申請書の作成ポイントについて, 申請書の骨子の作成, ポンチ絵の紹介と必要性および作成ポイント, 必要経費欄のまとめ方, 構成員状況提示の意味や意義, 申請書として作成するときや提出に関する注意事項, というまとめ方でエッセイ的に記したものである。